Pilgrim's Progress

August 2008

Dear friends,

So he did, and behold, at a great distance, he saw a most pleasant mountainous country, beautified with woods, vineyards, fruits of all sorts, flowers also, with springs and fountains, very delectable to behold. Isa. 33:16, 17. Then he asked the name of the country. They said it was Immanuel's land…

- “Pilgrim’s Progress”


The Lord has been faithful! We have entered the second half of the year,once again. and it is time to tell of the goodness of the Lord!


These past months I have felt like Pilgrim of Pilgrim’s Progress must have done, as he went along his way learning and discovering more with each new day, the cross behind him and his path before him.


Progress in Training Adults


I finally decided to try my hand than teaching adults once more. It was a daunting task, especially as I was immediately reminded of my first experience, but in March a training session (Teaching Children Effectively – TCE) was organised for Sunday School teachers at my church, Accra Chapel. I was asked to take part, and I was given two sessions to teach, namely, The Conversion of the Child and The Importance of the Teacher. I just committed myself to God and gave it my best. I performed creditably, if I say so myself! After the first lesson, one of the other teachers told me that everything I was saying was right on target, but I just needed to speak with more confidence. The second lesson was much smoother since I was more confident. Anytime there is another training session I will be ready to take up the challenge once again!


Progress in Teaching Children


Soon after, there was an opening to teach at another nursery school, Grace and Truth School, just adjacent to my house. It’s a small class of about fifteen children, which lets me get much closer to them, and I go there on Friday mornings. It was a little unsettling at first, getting used to both schools, but I’m more used to it now. At the moment schools are on holiday, so I am free, but I will resume when the term begins in September.


Progress in Building Bridges


I continue going to True Love School on Thursday mornings, and two months ago I noticed that a special child had been admitted to the school. His name is Sakyi. I really didn’t know how to reach him. He was so excitable and he wouldn’t sit down along with the other children. I didn’t know how much he would even understand, and the other teachers generally ignored him or would shout orders at him.


At first he wouldn’t come near me, but one day as I was telling the story, I noticed that he had come quite close to me. I extended my hand but he drew back sharply and went away again. Over the next two months I extended my hand over and over again as I was teaching but to no avail. The breakthrough came when three weeks before school vacated, I extended my hand and this time he reached out to take my hand. I drew him close and gave him a hug and a little kiss, and surprisingly he hugged me back! This stopped my story momentarily, and I heard ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ from the stunned children; I told him he was my friend, and from that time he has followed me adoringly every time I come. It was a breakthrough for me, but I know the real work is only beginning. I took a picture with him sometime later. I'll soon upload it on Facebook and send the link.

The Bible says I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! Phil 4:13! I have found a few more avenues for ministry that I will be exploring in the next few months. I am currently writing my thesis in preparation for my graduation from Trinity Theological Seminary in November, then I hope to go into ministry full time (Godwilling). I have learned many valuable lessons from my course and I want to make full use of it. I am very interested in counselling children, and I pray that God makes a way for me.


Please continue to bear me up in prayer for a stronger ministry.

Let the children come unto me, and do not hinder them - Jesus


Yours in Him,



Akos

The first Newsletter I wrote!

December 2006
Hi Everybody,

This is a first from me. I have decided to start my own newsletter, since there have been many changes in my life. This year has been A YEAR OF NEW BEGINNINGS in every sense of the word. There have been countless surprises, but I will name just a few new beginnings here. The Lord says, “Behold, I make all things new”. Rev. 21:5.

…New Beginnings in Business

On the 9th of July I began a new phase of my life when I moved to the Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) Centre in Tema to embark on my Children’s Ministries Institute® training. I have had this soft spot for children for as long as I can remember. It is nothing but the hand of God that got me registered in this course which cost over ¢4 million ($500), and for the next 3 months I lived in Tema. God is sooooo good! I have to think and pray seriously about what to do with my transcription business now since I am really more interested in children’s business. To tell the truth, business is really slow, and I haven’t been advertising either. I have this secret fear of being overburdened with tons of work that I can’t finish; I don’t know if that has anything to do with it. I visited the orphans at Osu Children’s Home with some goodies for Christmas, and I hope to resume my weekly visits from February next year.

…New Beginnings in Learning

In Tema, the Institute, as it is called, soon proved that it was going to be quite demanding. There were many practicum assignments expected of us, and we were kept extremely busy. We were taught how lost children were and were told of the need to catch them young for Jesus. We were taught Christian Principles; shown how to give captivating bible lessons, use the wordless book and generally how to behave around children. Children as young as five can be saved if the gospel is brought down to their level.

We were also taught how to instruct other people in child evangelism and were given solid leadership principles by our teachers.

In the fourth week we had to write a 20 page paper within a week, defending the biblical basis of child evangelism. It was like writing a thesis, the college paper I never wrote. It was a frenzied time, but I got an A+ for the paper I produced; God’s grace alone. We graduated on the 29th of September with a ceremony at the First Baptist Church, and I gave a testimony about my twelve weeks there.

It was a whole new experience, and I thank the Lord for it.

…New Beginnings in Ministry

Since returning from the Institute, I have become a Sunday school teacher at church. It is a challenge handling the preschool aged kids, but He who has called is faithful.

I am now a voluntary worker for CEF, and I have helped out at the at the Channel R studios (a local radio station) a few times, helping out with the Good News Club on air that is broadcast every Saturday. I will go more often when I am put on the programme.

I started a Good News Club on the 3rd of November with a grand total of 3 children. Since then the club has grown to 11, and most of my children have accepted Christ. There is one boy in particular that I am praying for. He is yet to accept. We meet on the front porch on Friday afternoons. I need strength, since most times even though I have prepared, I find myself getting stressed out when Friday is approaching.

A friend of mine started a school programme and invited me to help out. We go to Calvary Methodist School at nearby Adjiriganor once a fortnight to give the morning devotions. We tell the children bible stories and missionary stories and teach them memory verses. My real interest is counselling hurting children, which I did a bit of at Tema, but I haven’t yet found a real avenue for that. A degree in child psychology would really come in handy here, but unless that door opens, I will make do with what I have.

Since I started working with children, I have seen the Holy Spirit’s work in 79 children who have come to know the Lord. One time at the school programme, the whole of Class 4 & Class 5 accepted Christ! I would like to get more involved in the lives of these children.

The verse that says “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” has now taken on greater meaning for me. I know what lies ahead is not going to be a walkover, but with Jesus in the boat I can smile at any storm. 

… Praise & Prayer

Praise the Lord with me for the opportunity to go to CMI®. Thank God that it has opened my eyes to the great need around me; the harvest which is waiting. Pray that the Lord Himself will direct my paths.

Praise the Lord for the new doors which are opening in my life and the fulfilment which I now find in CEF, working among children.

Pray for the Good News Club which has started, and for my 10 saved children, that they will truly be like Jesus. May many more children be saved through this ministry!

Pray for a helper for the club, who will share the responsibility with me, and pray that the gracious Lord will provide the materials needed to sustain a club like this. At the moment I have only one book with 5 stories, and I need more books, song sheets, a flannel board, etc.

Pray that I will be able to train other teachers through CEF (I am also an instructor of teachers) and impact the lives of my preschoolers. Do remember me in your prayers, as we have an enemy, who would really love to see God’s work fail. Please let me know if you want to make a pledge to pray regularly so I can make you a prayer partner and send you frequent prayer bulletins. I hope there will be more new beginnings next year…

“Even so, it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven that even one of these little ones should perish.” This verse is found in Matt. 18:14. Have you ever thought of telling a 10 year old about Christ? The Saviour is waiting with open arms. Have you taken up His offer of love yourself? Will you accept the privilege of being the one to usher the little ones in? Will you heed the urgent call to salvage the souls of these precious ones so that they also can be found in glory? God richly bless you, and the best of the Season to you!

Yours in His Vineyard,


Akosua M. Dankwa

A little Something I shared last Sunday

A short discourse on two kings: without mentioning their names I’m sure you’ll know who they are.

The first king had a problem with fear; he was always afraid of what people would say about him. He was an angry king, and he was insecure. He tried to kill the man who would be his successor. He tried several times, but he did not succeed.

The second king was a man of war. He once told a lie, and as a result a whole settlement of priests was killed. One day, while he was supposed to be at war, he saw a woman having her bath. Instead of turning his eyes away, he looked, and looked, and looked, and finally he called her, and had his way with her. When he realised she was pregnant, he ordered that her husband be sent to the frontline so he could be killed. He then took the woman as his wife! What a wicked king! I would have said the first king wasn’t as wicked as the first king, but God rejected the first king, and he called the second king a man after His own heart!

The difference between these two kings was their heart attitude. Saul persisted in his sin, but David repented in sorrow, and went on to serve God with all his heart. I am not advocating going to do all the wrong you want to, saying that God will forgive you, but I say to those who have fallen into some sin or the other to come back to God in repentance. God will accept you and restore you.

I can imagine if David had been around in our day. The Christian newspapers would be the first to point fingers at him, and his church family would probably expel him outright. People would talk and gossip, and he would probably never recover. His testimony would be ruined.

I would like to appeal to all of us. If someone does something that you would never do in your lowest moment, please do not judge that person. The bible says we should restore those who have been found in sin gently, and speak the truth in love. The one you are harshly criticizing may be the one after God’s own heart.

Over the Mountains and the Valleys

January 2008

Dear All,

I

t’s a New Year with new hopes! I’ve been silent since July last year and missed out my December newsletter, but now its here, better late than never. The past months have been turbulent and challenging, and but through it all, my Heavenly Father has been carrying me in His everlasting arms. Deut 33:17a

Valley

Soon after I sent out my last newsletter I had to stop going to BASICS, the school I talked about. The lady in charge had issues with the way I incorporated the gospel in my story to the children and how I gave out the invitation every time. She called me after one lesson and said that the children probably did not understand since she had seen a few of them putting up their hands more than once after the invitation was given. She asked me if there was any way I could give the lesson without giving out an invitation. It was quite an upsetting experience for me, and I sought advice from a few people who encouraged me to keep going despite the new condition I had been given. I did go for a few more weeks and just gave the lesson without an invitation, but then I opted out.

Mountain

Soon afterwards another door opened to me, and I got the chance to start another school programme at a school in my neighbourhood, True Love Nursery School, which is incidentally the school that my nephew Edward goes to. Now I go there every Thursday morning, armed with my bible lesson visuals, and the children are always very happy when they see me. The reception on the part of the Headmistress and staff was very cordial, and it must have been God who opened the way for me. Truly, when God closes a door, He opens a window.

Valley

Getting to Osu Children’s Home was becoming increasingly difficult; the day that favoured me was Tuesday, and the Head had asked me to come on Wednesday. It was also a real time of discouragement after I had to leave BASICS, and though it may not have been the best decision to take, I stopped going there too. I still want to work with disadvantaged children, though, and I am making efforts to start visiting Agape Children’s Home in Adenta, which is closer to me.

Mountain

God showed me a picture of the lush, green tree talked about in Jeremiah 17 and drew my attention to the fact that He wants His children (including me) to be like that. It didn’t matter that times were rough, He still wanted me to look like a well watered plant

⁸ “He (she) will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."

God also gave me a beautiful picture in my own potted plant. During the harshest weeks of the harmattan when everyone had dry lips and skin like sandpaper, I noticed that my potted plant was looking very healthy. It reminded me of Psalm 1. I took a close up of it, asked God to help me to be like it, and I was encouraged.

I have also learned to say things in love. It was some harsh words I said to someone that caused me to think again.

God miraculously opened the way for me to go to school. I am now a student of Trinity Theological Seminary doing a diploma course in Holistic Child Development. My fees are being sponsored by a wonderful woman of God. God is good!! Praise Him

God Bless!!